The moment
by 26ja
Summary: His life was anything but not boring.  Always being on run, always moving…   But one thing seemed to be constant in his life. A book.


Once upon a time there was one book…

Yeah… of course, beside this book there was also whole kingdom with its royalty that lived in shiny castle on island surrounded by beautiful city and people who lived in their awesome but not-castle-awesome little houses and there was also some kinda weird magic stuff around in here that not so many peopled believed in but that's not that important. This isn't the story about them. Or maybe it is but that's not really the point.

So… where were we? …oh yeah… so there was this book, it was great book, it was fantastic book, it was in fact so awesome that one boy would rather spend all his free time reading than doing anything else. It was not so usual for boys his age, to hide away in tree shadow to avoid being drawn in some play. Instead he just read and read and when he finished it he started all over again.

It wasn't first publication he ever put his hands on but it was easily the first one he really enjoyed. It wasn't boring as hell – like those countless books they _made_ them read. He never quite understood as why. Yeah, sure he got why they _made_ them – no-one in his right mind would read something so dull willingly. But why they acted like it was something ridiculously important was beyond his comprehension. As if it could help them when they leave this place. It couldn't. Once you're out you're just on your own. Everyone – even the youngest - knew that.

And seriously he didn't _really_ need to know three previous generations who sat on Corona's throne. What's in past is in past. Simple as that. Besides he _knew_ who'd be next to live in that fancy castle. Or at least he seriously hoped so.

Anyway, this book was _different_. He considered it to be greatest book ever. And he soon made sure that every other kid thought the same. And if they didn't – something like that could happen only by accident – he was ready to use his fists when explaining. Fortunately he didn't need to do it or at least to do it often 'cause they simply loved it. How could they not – best book ever plus it was _him_ who was reading it aloud for them and _he_ could make even medicine prescription sound interesting.

The book was perfect, it felt so vivid, so real and its story was layered in so, so many ways that it was incredible. Every time he read it he found something new, something that wasn't there before or maybe it was but he just simply hasn't noticed it. And as he was growing up he realized that as a kid he really hadn't noticed few things. Some hidden joke here, some (or maybe more than some) double meaning there… It made him love this book even more. Yeeah… what _more_ could you ask from a _book_? – it was even _growing_ with him.

But it wasn't _just_ a book. No, that would be stupid, it was…. it was _more_. It was all that _he_ could be, all those experiences and adventures he could undergo, all those places he could visit, all that _money_ he'll have one day... And Flynnagen Rider – 'cause it were tales of him – wasn't just a random hero. It was somebody he could always rely on, somebody who he knew would never betray him – and _that_ was clearly something because it could not be told about anyone else he ever knew.

But as he was growing up he also realized that some adventures are better lived than read and somehow he found out that he's not so eager to share as he used to be. No, no he _wasn't_ ashamed in _any_ way for his love for this book (he loved it maybe even more) but … somehow it became more _private_ if that's the right word. In a world where he had to share with everything – and by everything he meant really _everything _– he finally found something that was only his.

As days came and went from yellowish pages of old book arose somebody even more dashing, handsome, charming and over all more awesome than Flynnagen Rider ever dreamt he could be. Yeah…his moral might not be on the same level but women _loved_ bad guys so there wasn't really reason to be concerned about this little fact. _Flynn Rider_ was his name. By weird concurrence of circumstances it happened exactly at the same time when certain Eugene Fitzherbert disappeared from the Earth's surface.

Since then he hasn't brought up this book, hasn't mentioned it nor recalled it. Not many people were aware of the fact that such a book exists and hey! it was no-one's business. The less the world knew about him the better. And this was also partial reason why he invented that 'no back-story rule' It was pretty smart step considering his career of choice and it was especially good with ladies 'cause it made him look more mysterious than he really was; which was surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) something girls knew how to appreciate.

The reason why this book has vanished (with his little help) was simple – world certainly wasn't prepared for awesomeness of _two_ Flynn Riders. Heck, he wasn't that sure the world could even handle marvelousness of one.

Plus _he _was Flynn Rider. _One_ and _only_. Pfff... No need for _anyone_ to know somebody with the same name.

However, even if there wasn't for those reasons somewhere deep down he knew he wouldn't be comfortable sharing. As ridiculous as it was, the book became part of him, a part so secret and intimate that there was no way in hell he would let anyone know.

At least he thought so. But then, she wasn't just _anyone_.

Y'know; he always had one dream. One dream he devoted his whole life to. And when he was closest to fulfilling it something happened. It was like lighting from clear blue heaven, like rain out of nowhere, like hit to the head. Well… it was _exactly_ hit to the head. Hit by frying pan to be specific. And soon he realized that this odd weapon was attached to an even weirder girl.

And suddenly – he didn't even know how – she knew about him more after spending half of the day with him than anyone he ever met before. Maybe it was that she confided in him too with something she hasn't told anyone else – such a little exchange of personal secrets. Maybe it was simple fact that she trusted him even though he didn't deserve any trust. Or maybe it was just that she was willing to listen.

And very slowly, one small step after another he came to realize he didn't dwell on being Flynn Rider that damned much. Maybe for the first time ever Eugene would be enough.

However it wasn't when he told her his _real_ name or when they danced.

It wasn't when he was holding her hands and she was looking straight into his eyes, probably seeing at the bottom of his soul with floating lights flying above them that he noticed that something not so characteristic for him was happening. Nor it was when he was dying in arms of a girl he just met. It wasn't even when he came back to life thanks to this very same girl.

The moment when he realized that he's totally and absolutely undeniably smitten was when he gave this book to her.

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><p><strong>AN: Review, please? I'd be really glad if you let me know what you think:)**

** Thanks for reading! **

(in case anyone's wondering; no, Tangled's not mine;))


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